DATA DRIVES DECISIONS

Many school-based programs claim to increase student physical activity and health, but the real question is whether they actually work. Data drives decisions

Ideally, schools will have quality physical education, physical activity opportunities throughout the day, and routine fitness assessment to measure progress. It is critical to evaluate school-based physical activity programs using an evidence-based fitness assessment to ensure that the programs are effective and improve youth health.

Dr. Laura F. DeFina The Cooper Institute, President, CEO and Chief Science Officer

The National Football League Foundation, in conjunction with the American Heart Association (AHA), developed the NFL PLAY 60 program in 2006 based on recommended physical activity guidelines. They later expanded the program to include nutrition education through programs like Fuel Up to Play 60. In 2009, the NFL Foundation engaged The Cooper Institute to scientifically evaluate the health benefits of this programming by creating the NFL PLAY 60 FitnessGram Project.

The program includes committed partnerships with the National Dairy Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NFL FLAG and USA Football, GENYOUth, and the AHA.

Participating schools receive financial support and guidance to utilize the various physical activity and nutrition “plays” offered by the PLAY 60 programs.

These schools also use FitnessGram by The Cooper Institute, an evidence-based fitness assessment, to evaluate the Healthy Fitness Zone status of students in grades 3 – 12.

In 2017, The Cooper Institute published the results in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. This pivotal study showed that the schools that actively participated in NFL PLAY 60 programs, including Fuel Up to Play 60 and the NFL Play 60 Challenge, had more children in the Healthy Fitness Zone for both fitness and weight. Together, the intervention and the assessment provide firm evidence that PLAY 60 programming improves the health of children, schools and communities.

The schools with fitter and leaner students continued to improve over four years, which suggests that ongoing PLAY 60 programming is helpful. These results led The Cooper Institute to redesign the project and develop a more structured implementation that includes consistent delivery of physical activity and healthy eating education. The NFL PLAY 60 FitnessGram Project is available in all 32 cities that have an NFL team.

Given the health benefits seen with the early phases of the program, the more structured project will likely provide sustainable programming and added health benefits while teaching children life-long healthy lifestyle habits.

Laura F. DeFina, MD, FACP is the CEO and Chief Science Officer of The Cooper Institute. She is also a U.S. Army veteran and was recently reappointed to the Texas Council on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders by Gov. Greg Abbott.

TO LEARN MORE OR GET INVOLVED, VISIT FITNESSGRAM.NET/NFLPLAY60

IT’S A FACT.

Research from the NFL PLAY 60 FitnessGram Project proves that students who participate in school-based fitness initiatives like NFL PLAY 60 have:

- Improved Cardio Fitness

- Healthier Body Weight